Your Cold and Flu Survival Guide From A to Z

Outsmart fevers, sneezes, and coughs this winter.

This is everything you need to know to outsmart fevers, sneezes, and coughs this winter.

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Acupuncture

This complementary medicine, a go-to treatment for conditions like back pain and migraines, is now recognized as a viable way to help prevent colds and the flu. "Acupuncture aids in the production of natural killer cells, our primary defense against organisms that make us sick," says Jamie Starkey, lead acupuncturist at the Cleveland Clinic. This means your "army" will be larger and stronger if a virus invades. Starkey recommends one session per week for five weeks.

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Berries

Eat more of Mother Nature's "pills" — blueberries and other dark berries help strengthen your immune system. They contain anthocyanins, shown to reduce inflammation. Aim for 1/2 to 1 cup per day (fresh or frozen), suggests naturopathic doctor Natasha Turner.

If you need short-term breathing relief, doctors suggest choosing sprays or drops over pills to clear sinuses faster. Experts caution against using sprays or drops for more than three days, though, because prolonged use can damage your nasal passages and make stuffiness worse.

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Exercise

Doing some form of moderate daily activity, whether it's walking, biking or jogging, can cut your number of colds in half, studies report. The increased breathing and blood flow and temporary rise in body temperature are believed to aid the immune system.

You can dramatically reduce your sick days by practicing mindfulness meditation, says research from the University of Wisconsin. In the study, volunteers reduced cold frequency, length, and severity by 33% to 60% after an eight-week course in mindfulness-based stress reduction. Learn some techniques at mindfulnesscds.com.

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Rinse

When blocked sinuses are making you miserable, get relief by using an OTC saline nasal spray or mist throughout the day whenever you feel the need to clear nasal passages.

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Sleep More

Sleep away your cold. Scientists are learning more about the sleep/healing connection: Getting more shut-eye when you're sick ups the activity of proteins that help to clear infection faster.

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Time Off

Over 40% of Americans let vacation time go to waste each year. Yet stress from lack of downtime is associated with a weaker immune system, says Natasha Turner. So consider those play days a prescription for better health — and use them.

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Understand Your Symptoms

Knowing if it's a cold or flu can help you make better treatment choices. If it's flu, take extra care, since it could lead to other complications like bronchitis or ear infections. Here are some ways to recognize the difference: Fever, chills, and aches all over? Common with the flu, rare with colds. Sneezing, stuffy nose, sore throat? Common for a cold, not the flu. Top tip: If you suspect flu, speak to a doctor ASAP about Tamiflu or Relenza, which stop viruses from replicating and can speed recovery by two days.

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Vaccine

"Getting a flu shot is the best preventer," says Michael Jhung, M.D., of the CDC. Experts say to get it as soon as it's out, usually in early fall. So yes, like now!

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Wash Your Hands

Always clean your hands after high germ-transfer times: when you arrive at work or home (especially after a trip on public transit) and before every meal. Just mild soap and water will do the trick.

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X Out Echinacea

The herb hasn't stood up to scrutiny from researchers. Save your cash for more effective (and proven) options.

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Yoga

Hatha yoga practice, which is composed of gentle poses and breathing exercises, can activate beneficial genes in our immune cells. In a study from the University of Oslo that compared pre-yoga and post-yoga blood cells, this benefit was seen within two hours after practicing.

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Zinc

Multiple studies suggest that at the first sign of a sore throat, sucking on zinc throat lozenges is a great defense; research shows they can shorten the duration of a cold. Scientists speculate that zinc hinders a virus's ability to reproduce or attach to cells. So go ahead, stock upon some zinc lozenges. Now you're ready — bring on cold and flu season!

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